Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A radio communication system comprising a radio apparatus and a signal processing apparatus that function as a base station, the radio apparatus comprising: a channel estimation circuit that, on the basis of a radio signal transmitted from a terminal apparatus, estimates channel information relating to a radio transmission path between the radio apparatus and the terminal apparatus; a demodulator that performs soft-decision demodulation of the radio signal on the basis of the channel information estimated by the channel estimation circuit; a signal switch that, depending on the terminal apparatus that transmitted the radio signal, switches an output destination of a log likelihood ratio obtained by the soft-decision modulation between either a first path passing through a decoder that decodes the log likelihood ratio or a second path not passing through the decoder; and a transmitter that transmits a signal output from the first path or the second path to the signal processing apparatus.
A radio communication system includes a base station with a radio apparatus and a signal processing apparatus. The system addresses the challenge of efficiently processing radio signals from multiple terminal devices in a wireless network. The radio apparatus estimates channel information from received radio signals to determine the transmission path characteristics between the base station and the terminal devices. It then performs soft-decision demodulation on the radio signals using the estimated channel information, generating log likelihood ratios (LLRs) that represent the probability of transmitted data bits. A signal switch selectively routes these LLRs based on the transmitting terminal device. For certain terminal devices, the LLRs are sent through a first path that includes a decoder, which decodes the LLRs into final data. For other terminal devices, the LLRs bypass the decoder and are transmitted directly through a second path. The transmitter then sends the processed signal from either path to the signal processing apparatus. This selective routing optimizes processing efficiency by avoiding unnecessary decoding for specific terminal devices, improving overall system performance.
2. The radio communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal switch switches the output destination of the log likelihood ratio obtained from the radio signal transmitted from the terminal apparatus to the first path when base station cooperation is not to be performed on the terminal apparatus that transmitted the radio signal, and switches the output destination of the log likelihood ratio obtained from the radio signal transmitted from the terminal apparatus to the second path when base station cooperation is to be performed on the terminal apparatus that transmitted the radio signal.
A radio communication system dynamically routes log likelihood ratio (LLR) data derived from terminal apparatus transmissions based on whether base station cooperation is required. The system includes a signal switch that directs the LLR output to one of two processing paths. When base station cooperation is not needed for a given terminal, the LLR is routed to a first path for conventional processing. If cooperation is required, the LLR is instead directed to a second path, enabling coordinated processing across multiple base stations. This selective routing optimizes resource allocation and processing efficiency by ensuring LLR data is only subjected to cooperative processing when necessary. The system supports flexible adaptation to varying network conditions and terminal requirements, improving overall communication performance. The signal switch operates based on predefined criteria or real-time network assessments to determine the appropriate path for each terminal's LLR data. This approach enhances spectral efficiency and reduces computational overhead by avoiding unnecessary cooperative processing for terminals that do not require it. The system is particularly useful in heterogeneous networks where some terminals may benefit from multi-base station coordination while others do not.
3. The radio communication system according to claim 2 , wherein the signal processing apparatus comprises a notification unit that determines whether or not base station cooperation is to be performed on the terminal apparatus associated with the radio apparatus, and notifies the radio apparatus of a determination result, and the signal switch determines whether or not base station cooperation is to be performed on the terminal apparatus that transmitted the radio signal on the basis of the determination result provided by the notification unit.
A radio communication system addresses the challenge of efficiently managing base station cooperation in wireless networks. The system includes a signal processing apparatus and a radio apparatus that communicate with terminal devices. The signal processing apparatus determines whether base station cooperation is needed for a specific terminal device and sends this decision to the radio apparatus. The radio apparatus then uses this information to decide whether to engage in cooperative communication with the terminal device. This approach optimizes network performance by dynamically adjusting cooperation based on real-time conditions, improving resource utilization and reducing interference. The system ensures seamless coordination between multiple base stations, enhancing signal reliability and data throughput for connected devices. The solution is particularly useful in dense urban environments where interference and signal degradation are common, allowing for more efficient and adaptive network management.
4. A radio communication method in a radio communication system comprising a radio apparatus and a signal processing apparatus that function as a base station, the radio communication method comprising: a channel estimation step wherein the radio apparatus, on the basis of a radio signal transmitted from a terminal apparatus, estimates channel information relating to a radio transmission path between the radio apparatus and the terminal apparatus; a demodulation step wherein the radio apparatus performs soft-decision demodulation of the radio signal on the basis of the channel information estimated in the channel estimation step; a signal switching step wherein the radio apparatus, depending on the terminal apparatus that transmitted the radio signal, switches an output destination of a log likelihood ratio obtained by the soft-decision modulation between either a first path passing through a decoding unit that decodes the log likelihood ratio or a second path not passing through the decoding unit; and a transmission step wherein the radio apparatus transmits a signal output from the first path or the second path to the signal processing apparatus.
This invention relates to radio communication systems, specifically improving efficiency in base station processing by selectively routing demodulated signals. The problem addressed is the computational overhead in base stations when processing signals from multiple terminal devices, particularly in scenarios where some signals require full decoding while others do not. The solution involves a base station with a radio apparatus and a signal processing apparatus that dynamically routes demodulated data based on terminal device characteristics. The radio apparatus first estimates channel information from a received radio signal, then performs soft-decision demodulation to generate log likelihood ratios. Depending on the transmitting terminal device, these ratios are either sent through a decoding unit (first path) or bypassed (second path) before transmission to the signal processing apparatus. This selective routing reduces unnecessary decoding operations, optimizing resource usage. The method ensures efficient processing by adapting to different terminal requirements without compromising signal integrity. The invention is particularly useful in heterogeneous networks where terminals have varying processing needs.
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May 19, 2020
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